e9S HONTHLY SUMMARY. 



Atlantic, and to have beaten their old-country cousins both in size 



and flavour. 



■ Russia, besides lier Cereals from the Black Sea, &c., sent some 

 unusual Horticultural products. She had "nuts" (cones) of the 

 Stone Pine from the Ural Mountains. Various kinds of walnuts, 

 common walnuts, soft-shelled walnuts, and hard-shelled walnuts; 

 and seeds of the sunflower too, of divers kinds, white seeds, 

 grey seeds, and black seeds. It appears that the sunflower is 

 largely cultivated in Kiev and Podolia eastwards to the black-soil 

 land. The stalks are used for fuel. From the seeds is expresssd 

 a very palatable, clear, flavourless oil, the demand for which is 

 great. It is exported from St, Petersburg at the average price 

 of IO5. &d, per cwt., and is said to be very extensively used, after 

 undergoing a certain amount of purifying, for the adulteration of 



salad oil. 



The shores of the MediteiTanean, from tawny Spain to furthest 

 Greece, lent their stores. Apples and pears from Mount Pelion, 

 and filberts from Mount Ossa, interested the 



classical 



quinces from these parts of Thessaly brought to mind the heroes 

 of Midsummer Night's Dream. 



The foreign element was unquestionably the feature of the 

 Show, and, estimated by its probable commercial and practical 

 results, was the most important part of it. But when we come 

 to compare objects exliibited by foreigners with those exhibited 

 by our own folks, two commonplace reflections cannot fail to 

 have struck most of the visitors. The one, that the best of 

 everything is to be found in London; and the other, that when- 

 ever the Englishman chooses to bestir himself and put forth his 

 strength, he not only can get the best of everything from abroad,, 

 but can produce better than the best (of others) himself at l:K)me. 

 However fine the specimens of any kind of fruit shown by foreign 

 exhibitors might be, better were to be seen on a table in the 

 centre of the conservatory, piled up with fruit of all kinds, exhi- 

 bited by Mr. Lewis Solomon, and Messra. Webber & Co., both 

 fruit mercliants in Covent Garden. The other remai-k was borne 

 out by the immense superiority of all the fruit grown under glass 

 in England over foreign fruit of the same kind. If the same pains 

 were taken to excel in pears, or any other fruit, it is natural to 

 infer, that the resnH would le the same. It is diflBcult to find 

 adequate terms to characterise the beauty of the English grapes 

 exhibited on this occasion. Here the palm was borne away by 

 Mr. JlDrummonil, gardener to Mr. J. S. Smith, Tunbridtre Wells, 



